Narrative:

The captain arrived at the gate about 10 min before departure time. I was sitting in the cabin and went up front with him, picked up the ATIS, and called for our clearance. I noticed the transponder was set at a code that is not recommended and I put an arbitrary squawk into it as to prevent the inadvertent squawk of a non recommended squawk. (Later I found out that was the captain's way of determining if his first officer had received a clearance.) the captain said, 'what's our clearance?' 'we do not have one, the ACARS is out and I can't get a word in edge wise,' I replied. It was push time and without the ACARS every jet was requesting clearance -- it was quite a mess. 'We are going to taxi out on 1 engine,' he said expecting a delay off runway 5. 'Ok, I'll call ramp and see if you can taxi as I get the clearance,' I said. Ramp approved it. After I finished the weight and balance I obtained the clearance seconds before we left the gate. I called ramp control and we were given spot 7 -- meaning we were not going to be part of the long line. 'We got spot 7 for the left side,' I said. 'Ok we will run the taxis on the after we cross 5 so we don't get distracted,' he said. I thought this was a good idea, but didn't like the idea of taxiing on 1 engine. If the AC generator cross tie fail, if the AC generator fails we are left steering less and brakeless. Don't get me wrong, I know times are tough for the airlines and if we all saved $10.50 every time we taxied it would help them I am sure. However when we wait in line behind 30 of our company jets I think that management should have implemented a different sort of a plan to save money. They could stagger their departures by 3 mins between every flight. That would alleviate their self inflicted traffic jam and save them millions in fuel costs -- without degrading safety and putting my certificate on the line. As we approached spot seven he said,' check the routing on the release and make sure it's the same as what's in the kns.' 'great I thought. We can run the taxi checks after obtaining clearance to cross and after crossing the active -- for situational awareness, -- but it's ok for me to be distracted now?' it is here that I made the mistake -- I decided to do it rather than to tell him, 'dumb idea, let's wait till we cross.' here I assumed. 'Ok, he has the radio, he is after all taxiing, he'll stop.' as we crossed the hold short line on an active runway I abruptly looked up. He slammed on the brakes and we stopped -- a bit over the line. I immediately called ground and they cleared us to cross, there was no one in position and no one taking off so we were fortunately safe. The last time I flew with this captain I was not assertive and a small plane almost landed on us because he was in a rush to takeoff from an uncontrolled airport. This time we nearly crossed over an active runway without clearance. The sad part is with all this rushing we saved the company 10 bucks, it could have cost them a lot more if something happened. We left the gate 5 min early -- we could have used this time getting the clearance and comparing the release to the kns, rather then doing it while we taxied.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT CROSSES HOLD SHORT LINE WHEN TAXI-IN.

Narrative: THE CAPT ARRIVED AT THE GATE ABOUT 10 MIN BEFORE DEP TIME. I WAS SITTING IN THE CABIN AND WENT UP FRONT WITH HIM, PICKED UP THE ATIS, AND CALLED FOR OUR CLRNC. I NOTICED THE XPONDER WAS SET AT A CODE THAT IS NOT RECOMMENDED AND I PUT AN ARBITRARY SQUAWK INTO IT AS TO PREVENT THE INADVERTENT SQUAWK OF A NON RECOMMENDED SQUAWK. (LATER I FOUND OUT THAT WAS THE CAPT'S WAY OF DETERMINING IF HIS FO HAD RECEIVED A CLRNC.) THE CAPT SAID, 'WHAT'S OUR CLRNC?' 'WE DO NOT HAVE ONE, THE ACARS IS OUT AND I CAN'T GET A WORD IN EDGE WISE,' I REPLIED. IT WAS PUSH TIME AND WITHOUT THE ACARS EVERY JET WAS REQUESTING CLRNC -- IT WAS QUITE A MESS. 'WE ARE GOING TO TAXI OUT ON 1 ENG,' HE SAID EXPECTING A DELAY OFF RWY 5. 'OK, I'LL CALL RAMP AND SEE IF YOU CAN TAXI AS I GET THE CLRNC,' I SAID. RAMP APPROVED IT. AFTER I FINISHED THE WT AND BAL I OBTAINED THE CLRNC SECONDS BEFORE WE LEFT THE GATE. I CALLED RAMP CTL AND WE WERE GIVEN SPOT 7 -- MEANING WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE PART OF THE LONG LINE. 'WE GOT SPOT 7 FOR THE L SIDE,' I SAID. 'OK WE WILL RUN THE TAXIS ON THE AFTER WE CROSS 5 SO WE DON'T GET DISTRACTED,' HE SAID. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA, BUT DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA OF TAXIING ON 1 ENG. IF THE AC GENERATOR CROSS TIE FAIL, IF THE AC GENERATOR FAILS WE ARE LEFT STEERING LESS AND BRAKELESS. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I KNOW TIMES ARE TOUGH FOR THE AIRLINES AND IF WE ALL SAVED $10.50 EVERY TIME WE TAXIED IT WOULD HELP THEM I AM SURE. HOWEVER WHEN WE WAIT IN LINE BEHIND 30 OF OUR COMPANY JETS I THINK THAT MGMNT SHOULD HAVE IMPLEMENTED A DIFFERENT SORT OF A PLAN TO SAVE MONEY. THEY COULD STAGGER THEIR DEPS BY 3 MINS BTWN EVERY FLT. THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THEIR SELF INFLICTED TFC JAM AND SAVE THEM MILLIONS IN FUEL COSTS -- WITHOUT DEGRADING SAFETY AND PUTTING MY CERTIFICATE ON THE LINE. AS WE APCHED SPOT SEVEN HE SAID,' CHK THE RTING ON THE RELEASE AND MAKE SURE IT'S THE SAME AS WHAT'S IN THE KNS.' 'GREAT I THOUGHT. WE CAN RUN THE TAXI CHKS AFTER OBTAINING CLRNC TO CROSS AND AFTER XING THE ACTIVE -- FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, -- BUT IT'S OK FOR ME TO BE DISTRACTED NOW?' IT IS HERE THAT I MADE THE MISTAKE -- I DECIDED TO DO IT RATHER THAN TO TELL HIM, 'DUMB IDEA, LET'S WAIT TILL WE CROSS.' HERE I ASSUMED. 'OK, HE HAS THE RADIO, HE IS AFTER ALL TAXIING, HE'LL STOP.' AS WE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON AN ACTIVE RWY I ABRUPTLY LOOKED UP. HE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND WE STOPPED -- A BIT OVER THE LINE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED GND AND THEY CLRED US TO CROSS, THERE WAS NO ONE IN POS AND NO ONE TAKING OFF SO WE WERE FORTUNATELY SAFE. THE LAST TIME I FLEW WITH THIS CAPT I WAS NOT ASSERTIVE AND A SMALL PLANE ALMOST LANDED ON US BECAUSE HE WAS IN A RUSH TO TKOF FROM AN UNCTLED ARPT. THIS TIME WE NEARLY CROSSED OVER AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. THE SAD PART IS WITH ALL THIS RUSHING WE SAVED THE COMPANY 10 BUCKS, IT COULD HAVE COST THEM A LOT MORE IF SOMETHING HAPPENED. WE LEFT THE GATE 5 MIN EARLY -- WE COULD HAVE USED THIS TIME GETTING THE CLRNC AND COMPARING THE RELEASE TO THE KNS, RATHER THEN DOING IT WHILE WE TAXIED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.